I will be speaking at the upcoming Conference on Baltic Studies in Europe at Cambridge University, organised by the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies. My presentation will be about memory politics in Kaliningrad Oblast. I will also host a panel discussion on weaponisation of memory in contemporary Russia.
What do we know about Russia’s Kaliningrad Oblast as of early 2024 and what do we make of it?
For a long time, this semi-exclave remained among few Russian regions which enjoyed more civil activity and represented openness despite growing authoritarian pressure in the country.
Over two years after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities claim Kaliningrad Oblast is at the forefront of Russia’s defensive war against the West. It is a bulwark of Kremlin-defined Russianness with its traditional values and militarisation of history. Regional politicians, rather than advocating for the Oblast’s interests, use it as a trampoline to Moscow. Regional economy is being overtaken by federal-level oligarchs and security services.
Most importantly, Kaliningrad Oblast poses a threat to security in the Baltic Sea Region, including the Danish island of Bornholm, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden, as well as critical infrastructure in the area.
If you want to learn more, read the report I prepared for DIIS – Danish Institute for International Studies.
‘Since Kaliningrad Oblast is geographically separated from Russia, its situation is complex and completely different from other regions. Especially now [that the ferry connection is responsible for supplying the region] it becomes clear that Kaliningrad will be completely dependent on Saint Petersburg.’
Lithuanian IQ magazine interviewed me about the state of affairs in Kaliningrad Oblast. The title – A military place and nothing more (Karinis miestelis ir nieko daugiau) – is somewhat provocative but gives a good feeling of what the region has become in the last decade.
Many thanks to Agnė Baltrūnaitė for an interesting talk!
In Casimir Pulaski Foundation’s latest policy paper, I argue that Kaliningrad Oblast faces the biggest challenges ever since the disintegration of the Soviet Union and that these challenges are impossible to overcome under the current circumstances.
It happened so not only because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but also because of the events that had led up to it: growing centralisation, ignoring the semi-exclave’s natural needs related to trade and cross-border cooperation, as well as its militarisation.
The Oblast and its inhabitants is have been cut off from main sources of economic growth. Russia will not be able to provide effective and efficient supply lines to make up for it as the Kremlin has different priorities.
As a result, Kaliningrad Oblast has become a besieged fortress that is drifting further away both from Moscow and the West. In the eyes of Russian authorities, it only exists to threaten.
Big thanks to Katarzyna Pisarska and Andrzej Kozłowski for a great cooperation opportunity!
Kontynuuję cykl artykułów poświęconych nieoczywistym miejscom w obwodzie kaliningradzkim. Po Ponarcie i Żeleznodorożnym przyszedł czas na Polessk. Mój tekst dla “Przeglądu Bałtyckiego” znajduje się tutaj: https://przegladbaltycki.pl/18139,browar-za-lasem-polessk-labiawa.htmlhttps://przegladbaltycki.pl/18139,browar-za-lasem-polessk-labiawa.html.
Dzisiejszej nocy (26-27 sierpnia) obchodzimy 77. rocznicę pierwszego z dwóch brytyjskich nalotów bombowych na #Królewiec. Drugi, trzy dni później, dopełnił dzieła zniszczenia centrum miasta, które na przestrzeni wieków tworzyli ludzie wielu etnosów, wyznań i światopoglądów.
Zagładę Knipawy, Lipnika i Startego Miasta obserwował Michael Wieck – Żyd, który cudem przeżył Szoah i późniejsze sowieckie rządy wojskowe.
Zapraszam do lektury mojego najnowszego artykułu w portalu “Przegląd Bałtycki“: https://przegladbaltycki.pl/17641,sierpniowy-koszmar-krolewca-oczami-michaela-wiecka.html.
Zadebiutowałem na łamach portalu “Przegląd Bałtycki” tekstem poświęconym miejscowości Żeleznodorożnyj, przed którą od lat stoją poważne wyzwania: https://przegladbaltycki.pl/17084,kapitalne-gierdawy….
Czy tzw. remont kapitalny, stosunkowo nowy pomysł władz regionalnych, zwiększy atrakcyjność przedwojennych Gierdaw? Debiut ma również wymiar fotograficzny, ponieważ artykułowi towarzyszą zdjęcia mojego autorstwa. Można je znaleźć również tutaj.
Dziękuję redakcji “PB” za współpracę!
Last year we celebrated the 100th anniversary of Polish consular presence in Koenigsberg/Kaliningrad. On this occasion, together with my colleagues we worked on a small commemorating piece for Korolievskiye Vorota. The article got published in December 2020. Big thanks to everyone that helped this initiative come to life!
